Abstract

Groupers contribute with the maximum number of individuals and catch biomass of the entire Yucatan's fishfish production. Despite the importance of this resource, little information is available on the biology of grouper juveniles.\Through a five month survey in nine different sites along the coast, we captured 192 individuals, belonging to five species of juvenile's groupers. E. morío (5.5*cm), M. bonaci (38*cm), M. microlepis (7.1*cm), E. striatus (34*cm) and E. adscensionis (15.7*cm) (*minimum value for standard length). E. morio was the most abundant specie captured (N = 89), following M. microlepis (n = 84) and M. bonaci (n = 17), being July the month in which more individuals were captured (n =89).\The potential nursery areas defined by this study match the four natural protected areas along the coast of Yucatan, even though when these areas were decreed, the marine environment was not taken into account, and there are no marine management plans for any of them. Therefore, this study is focused on the distribution of juveniles, potential nursery and recruitment areas, and habitat dependency along the Yucatan coastline.

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